New Delhi: The Delhi government’s Late Payment Surcharge (LPSC) Scheme, launched to clear pending water bills under CM Rekha Gupta, appears to have been hampered by administrative inefficiencies. Announced in September 2025, the scheme has benefited only 22.54% of eligible consumers even after four months. Due to outdated systems and lack of basic facilities, the government has now been compelled to extend the scheme’s duration.
Scheme Details and Outstanding Dues
Out of 29 lakh Delhi Jal Board (DJB) consumers, around 14.68 lakh had pending bills spanning several years, totaling ₹16,068 crore—including ₹5,057 crore principal and ₹11,011 crore arrears (interest). The main consumer complaints were regarding incorrect or average billing. To provide relief, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh had announced a 100% waiver on arrears, with expected revenue of ₹5,057 crore. However, only ₹430.26 crore (8.5%) has been collected so far.
System Failures and Administrative Challenges
The scheme’s limited success is largely attributed to departmental inefficiencies. Consumers visiting Zonal Revenue Officer (ZRO) offices often found no staff or insufficient machines. Outdated software prevented submitted payments from being recorded in the system, leading to interest being charged again the following month. A shortage of cash-counting machines further slowed the process.
Number of Consumers Who Paid
Of the 14.68 lakh eligible consumers, only 3,30,908 have managed to clear their pending bills, leaving 11,37,092 (77.46%) still deprived of the benefits. The department now claims that system issues are being resolved, and it expects that consumers will be able to pay their dues easily during the extended scheme period.
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